Oil tank construction



July 21, 1931. R. R. TUCKER 1 OIL TANK CONSTRUCTION Filed March 5. 1928 Robe/7 A. Tucker INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT R. TUCKER, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, .ASSIGNOR TO NATIONAL TANK SEAL COM- IPANY, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OIL TANK CONSTRUCTION Application filed March 5, 1928. Serial No. 259,368.

My invention relates to improvements in the means of constructing tops for oil storage tanks in which volatile and inflammable hydrocarbon oils are kept. The object of my improvement is to connect the sides of a metal tank to its roofby a flexible metallic joint so that movement of either the top or sides due to expansion and contraction, settling or distortion, will not rupture the vapor tight joint, thereby preventing fire from ignition of explosive vapors, reducing evaporation losses and eliminating damage to the stored oil from water seepage.

I attain these obj ects'by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a storage tank and the roof thereof constructed in accordance with my invention, the roof being broken away and being partly in section; 1

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of the abutting ends of the main strips with the intermediate S-shaped strip disposed between the main strips, the strips being separated to show their construction.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A designates the usual frame of an oil storage tank and 9 designates the metallic side wall thereof which has riveted to its upper edge the angle iron 8, the rivets being designated 10. The roof of the tank is designated I 11 and the roof plate is designated 13. All of these parts are of any ordinarycor usual construction and are commonly found in oil storage tanks of the character stated. In order to connect the side wall 9 of the tank flexibly with the roof and provide a metallic joint between the two permitting a movement of the roof, I connect the roof to the wall 9 by means of a series of metallic strips designated 1. These strips are formed to fit the circumferential curvature of the tank and are bent or rolled near the middle at 2 so that the 0 upper portion of the strip extends inward towall 9. The returned portion of each strip 1 is held to the angle iron 8 by means of a bolt 6 extending through a metal gasket 5. The upper edge of each strip 1 is attached to the roof plate 13 and to thewo'od sheathing of the roof 11 by a nail or nails 12 and the joint is sealed by plastic material 7 formed to provide a ridge.

The strips 1 are slidingly engaged with each other by having their adjacent edges in-.

serted within the folds of a joint section 4 as shown in Figure 3, this joint section 4 being substantially S-shaped in cross section. Plastic fibrous material 7 is disposed between the folds of the joint section 4 and the adj acent margins of the strips 1 so that a flexible j oint is formed between the two sections 1 and a continuous flexible joint is formed entirely around the tank between the sides and the roof, thus forming a connection which will permit movement of either the sides or bottom of the tank without breaking the vaportightseal. 1

' The metal strip 1, is constructed of duetile flexible or galvanized iron or any other suitable material, the plastic fibre material 7, is an asbestos fibre or other suitable cement, the sliding joint 4, is also of ductile metal, formed in section to fit the end of the metal strip 1, and the top edge of the flexible metal strip 1 may be fastened to the roof plates 13, with rivets, solde'r,'or welding 1nstead of a nail as shown. formed metal strips 1, are placed end to end around the edge of the tank roof, o1ned by the sliding joint .4, the whole formlng a con? tinuous flexible metallic joint around the tank since the sliding joint sections 4, permit circumferential expansion and contractlon ofthe metal strip sections within themselves Sections of the without breaking the seal, and the roll 2, in the strip 1, permit movement of the tank roof or sides to be a sorbed by the bending of the metal comprising the roll. It is obvious that this device can be constructed in several different shapes, for instance bent on different curves or angles at 2, or formed with additional corrugations throughout its width, or formed with different curves throughout its length to permit adaptation to various' size tanks.

The construction of the character described permits movement of the tank sides and roof without rupture of the joints, and

' prevents escape of valuableoil vapors around the caves of a tank and keeps water from seeping in to cause corrosion of metal or damage to the oil. By keeping inflammable vapors from becoming exposed to lightning or static sparks on tank roofs the fire hazard for stored oils is greatly reduced. Such a construction also permits a greater vapor pressure to be maintained inside a tank so that evaporation loss from wind drift and breathing of a tank due to temperature changes is greatly reduced.

I am aware that prior to my invention the roofs of oil storage tanks have been connected to the sides by riveting and caulking, bolting, welding, and occasionally sealing on the outside of a joint with various plastic cements. I do not therefore claim such a combination broadly; but

I claim:

1. A storage tank having a roof and a side wall the roof having its edge spaced inwardly from the side wall and flexible metal connecting elements connected to and extending across the space between the side wall and the roof and permitting relative movement of the side wall and roof, said metal connecting elements being composed of a plurality of circumferentially extending sections slidably engaged with each other.

2. A storage tank having a side wall and a roof, the roof having its edge spaced inward from the ,wall and movable independently relative to the side wall and an annular connecting element of flexible metal attachedto the roof and extending outward beyond the tank wall and then extending inward of and connected to the'tank wall.

3. A storage tank having a circular tank wall and a roofless in diameter than the diameter of the tank wall, the roof and wall being movable with relation to each other and the wall having an angle iron attached thereto at the upper edge of the wall, the angle iron having an outwardly projecting horizontal flange at the top of the wall, an annular connecting element of flexible metal extending circumferentially around the tank wall and the margin of the roof, the connecting element being attached at one margin to the roof, extending outward beyond the horizontal flange of the angle iron and being then extended inward and being operatively connected to the angle iron confronting the inner face thereof, there being sealing material disposed between the flexible metallic element and the adjacent face of the angle iron.

4. A storage tank having a circular tank wall and a roof of less diameter than the circular tank wall, the roof and wall being movable independently of each other, an angle iron attached to and having a horizontal flange extending outward from the upper edge of the wall, the angle iron being riveted to the upper margin of the wall, and an annular element of flexible metal extending circumferentially around the wall and the margin of the roof and flexibly connecting the two, the annular connecting element being attached at its inner margin to the roof and extending outward beyond the horizontal flange ofthe angle iron, then being extended inward over the upper flange of the angle iron and being engaged therewith and then extending downward inside of the tank wall and below the rivets connecting the angle iron to the tank wall, and sealing material disposed around the inner margin of the connecting element and covering its point of attachment to the roof and sealing material disposed between the lower face of the inwardly extending portion of said connecting element and the upper face of said angle iron, said sealing material extending down over the point between the angle iron and the tank wall and downward between the inner face of the tank wall and the downwardly extending portion of said connecting element and over the line of rivets.

5. A storage tank having a circular tank wall and a roof of less diameter than the diameter of the tank wall, the tank wall and roof being independently movable vertically and horizontally with relation to the wall, the tank wall carrying at its upper margin a horizontally projecting flange disposed at the upper edge of the wall, and means for flexibly connecting the roof with the tank wall comprising a plurality of arcuate sections formed of flexible metal, the ends of the sections being connected to each other by a sliding joint, said joint including sealing material disposed within the joint and contacting with the overlapping margins of the two sections, each of said sections having its inner margin attached to the roof and having sealing mate rial disposed over the point of attachment and extending over and along the inner edge of the section, the section extending outward beyond the angle iron and then being returned upon itself and extending inward above the upper face of the angle iron and then downward on the inner face of the tank wall and beyond the rivets connecting the flange to the tank wall, sealing material disposed between the upper face ofsaid flange and the inwardly extending portion of the flexible section and between the inner face of the section and the adjacent face of the tank wall and over the joints between the angle iron and the wall and extending below the rivets connecting the angle iron to the wall,

and connecting members passing through the horizontal flange to the angle iron through said sealing material and through the inwardly extending portion of the connecting section and holding it in place upon the angle 1I0Il.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

ROBERT R. TUCKER. 

